Lawler vs. Sobral Has Big Implications For Both Fighters

“Well, I took a little time off.  I have been going to the gym; I’ve been prepared all along,” Sobral said last week. “I was supposed to fight in DREAM, but that go cancelled and Strikeforce offered me this opportunity.  I just had to push the training a little bit more.  It’s been good training.  I’ve had a very, very amazing camp.”

Unlike “Babalu”, Lawler enters this fight on a very positive note, following his knockout victory over Manhoef. The win not only set him back on the right path towards a title shot, but it is also one he cherishes as one of his greatest victories; something that has vastly helped him keep a strong mentality leading up to his upcoming bout.

“I think it was one of my biggest because everyone knows what kind of striker he is,” explained Lawler. “Everyone said I should have taken him down, which maybe I should have.  But to knock him out standing and to beat him on his feet, where he’s supposedly one of the best in the world, felt good.”

Now, Lawler faces a man not known for his striking game, but rather for his submission prowess. 18 of Sobral’s 35 career victories have come via submission, including his submissions against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Chael Sonnen, and Mauricio Rua. Unfortunately for Lawler, he has run into trouble in the past against submission specialists, including his loss to Jake Shields via guillotine choke. However, Lawler is certain that he will be prepared for whatever “Babalu” has in store for him.

“Really, I’ve just been doing what I normally do: working on all my skills, striking, grappling, wrestling, just trying to build everything at the same time,” stated Lawler. “(Against Shields) I got caught in a submission, it was tight and I made a mistake. It was an easy mistake to fix and that’s what I’ve been doing.  I grapple as much as I do anything else, so I’m not leaving anything behind.  I’m working on all my skills.”

A veteran like Lawler is not one to mistake training as the only important aspect prior to entering the fight. His last fight, a brawl he was losing prior to his comeback knockout, displayed his mental strength, and that is something Lawler never enters the cage without.

“I don’t really want to talk about my advantages, but, as far as my strengths are, I’m mentally prepared.  I’m ready to go; I’m physically ready to go.  I’ve been training real hard.  Babalu is a really good opponent; he’s fought everyone it seems at different weights.  So he’ll be ready to go and I’ll be ready to go.”

For Sobral and Lawler, their “Strikeforce: Los Angeles” matchup is certainly of the utmost importance for two fighters in search of a championship belt. On Wednesday June 16, the two will face off at the 195-pound catchweight to determine which fighter gets the next title shot in his respective division. The fight is an enormous opportunity for each fighter, as they seek to verify themselves as top-tier athletes in the sport of MMA and make yet another run at the championship belts they so eagerly and adamantly seek.